Friday Night Brown Bagger

Our small group of eight gathered for our regular third Friday brown bag tasting. Wines are brought in paper bags and arranged randomly but we attempt to go somewhat light to heavy by placing wines towards one end of the table or the other, and then we mix them a bit from there. Each flight is tasted and unveiled prior to moving on to the next flight.

• 2008 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut La Grande Dame 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  Creamy with citrus and orchard fruit qualities. Fine bead. Excellent.

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• 2008 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Golden color, clearly has a good bit of age. There’s some madeirization but underneath there are also pleasant mature nutty qualities as well as honeycomb and orchard fruit. This bottle is over the hill but not completely without charm; drinkable, if just barely.

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• 2010 Ridge Chardonnay Estate 90 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Orchard fruit and vanilla cream notes. Hints of citrus in the finish. Excellent and at peak for my palate.

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• 2011 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing 91 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Double blind. Opens with a sweet boozy quality that is more pleasant than it sounds. The fruit is ripe, but not overly so, and it picks up a bit of spice in the finish. Guessed Sonoma pinot. (R&R)

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• 2011 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Ten 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Double blind. Dark fruit and spice notes follow through on the palate. Has a bit of an herbal edge as well, becoming more red fruited as it sits, picking up a subtle cola element as well. Guessed RRV pinot. (R&R)

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• 2016 Domaine Pierre Guillemot Savigny-lès-Beaune Vieilles Vignes 85 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune

  Blind. A bit reticent and not giving up much on either the nose or palate. Cherry and red berry fruit; soft. Decent acidity, but fairly simple.
  
  I was surprised to see our bottle unveiled as I expected a bit more from this. This had been double decanted 3.5 hours before the flight was poured.

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• 2015 Domaine Pierre Guillemot Savigny-lès-Beaune Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune

  Blind. Red and black fruit aromas with spice overtones. Abundant spice and dark pinot fruit qualities with good underlying acidity and a lingering finish. Medium-bodied. Guessed OR pinot.
  
  This had been double decanted about 3.5 hours before the flight was poured.

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• 2000 Hauts de Pontet-Canet 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Diuble blind. Garnet core with a light meniscus. Aromas of black currant, earth, iron and iodine. Red and black currant on the palate, with soft tannins and nice balancing acidity. Guessed 2001 Pessac.(R&D)

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• 2000 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Double blind, and you can almost copy my note from two years ago, substituting asphalt for clay in my note from April 2018:
  
  “cherry, [asphalt] and red fruit notes. Fully integrated; decent acidity. Nice red fruit and spice on the palate. Nicely balanced. 92+ pts. CndP was not on my radar here.”
  
  I liked this, but would have guessed a companion Bordeaux. This did not scream grenache or CndP to me yet again. (R&D)

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• 2005 Domaine des Escaravailles Côtes du Rhône Villages Roaix Les Hautes des Granges 91 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages Roaix

  Double blind. Dark color with notes of black fruit and spice with a nice earthy undertone. Balanced; soft tannins and acidity with an abundance of red and black fruit and earth. Guessed Bordeaux. (J&J)

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• 2007 Domaine des Escaravailles Rasteau Heritage 1924

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Rasteau

  Double blind. Abundant dark fruit with medium tannins and balancing acidity. Has a plushness to it. Excellent. From 100% old vine grenache. (J&J)

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• 2008 Fonseca Porto Late Bottled Vintage Unfiltered 87 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Double decanted 5+ hours before it was served. Dark plummy fruit and spice tones. Slightly chalky tannins with plum and raisin fruit on the palate.

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